Mystery Flower at My Cottage

 

 

These were taken today on an overcast morning with my iPad. What are those stunning magenta flowers and how did they get there? They are very large and have popped up in an area that never gets mowed and is allowed to grow wild behind the tall grasses in the second photo and near the buttercups that grow in huge patches near my metal gate. Click to enlarge. Isn't it fun to get surprise flowers planted by birds and magic? 

I have to say my favorite photo app of late is PhotoToasterJr. I almost never use anything else. It's free too. I blogged about it recently (last Saturday 4/28) so look for the post to download.

Vertical Pear Salad | Genius and Beautiful

 

V E R T I C A L - P E A R - S A L A D

ingredients:

4 smooth skinned pears

2-3 cups watercress

1/2 cup toasted pecans

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

vinaigrette dressing

honey for drizzling

lemon juice

directions:

Cut pears horizontally into 3 or 4 slices depending on the size of your pears. Use a paring knife to cut out the cores. The pieces should look like O's. Leave the stem on the pop piece. Brush slices of pear with lemon juice to keep it from browning.

Toss watercress, pecans, and blue cheese with dressing until coated.

Reassemble the pear, vertically, with the watercress salad in between each slice. Once assembled, drizzle with honey, and serve!

Doesn't this look delicious? via The Novice Chef

Lovely Manor House with Topiaries

Have a great weekend looking for something beautiful to inspire you! via

This week's bird sightings | Yellow and Blue

 

 

  

Which bird do you prefer? The Goldfinch or the Bluebird?

 

UPDATE: This red-tailed hawk just flew by and wanted to be included!

Chevron Wainscoting Tutorial

It's lovely, isn't it? Tutorial here. Found here. What a clever way to install beadboard!!!!

Cone with A Curl on Top

One of my favorite things about summer! I wonder if the Magic Fountain is open yet? via

The Scream brings $119.9 Million

It took 12 nail-biting minutes and five eager bidders for Edvard Munch’s famed 1895 pastel of “The Scream” to sell for $119.9 million, becoming the world’s most expensive work of art ever to sell at Sotheby's auction house in NYC yesterday. Read more in The New York Times...

Munch's subject matter is symbolist in content, depicting a state of mind rather than an external reality. Munch maintained that the impressionist idiom did not suit his art. Interested in portraying not a random slice of reality, but situations brimming with emotional content and expressive energy, Munch carefully calculated his compositions to create a tense atmosphere. via

Can you believe that was the highest price ever paid for a work of art? via

I am my own hired hand

I took this photo of my feet last night when I had to quit weed whacking at 7:30 pm -- not because I wanted to or was finished -- but because I ran out of day-glo green string. I was almost finished with one section too. Drats. I can't get the spool off by myself. Instead I have to bother Greg at the gas station and he gives it one easy twirl and it comes right off. I don't have the knack with anything that has a motor.

The top of me looked good after my new afternoon haircut. It's just not in the cards for me to be fancy in any way shape or form until I conquer the weeds in my driveway. 

I keep thinking about my grandmother's sage advice and wishing I had followed it.

Goodnight All

G o o d n i g h t

Elizabeth Adela Stanhope Forbes

Canadian, 1859-1912 

I love this painting and the artist's monogram signature. I'm off to bed soon myself after another busy day working outside. via

Both Dogs Can Be First Out The Door This Way :)

Meet Buddy and Luke. This happens every time the door is opened. Luke is the one that's airborne. I love this photo. via

DIY Cement Planters from Food Containers

Aren't these planters lovely? They are molded from used food packaging containers. Instead of throwing away your ice cream cartons and yogurt containers you can make a few troughs for your succulents. You will need:

• Cement (it's the glue that binds the other ingredients)
• Vermiculite (you can use sand instead, but the planters become very heavy)
• Peat moss, pearlite, gravel or rock (add for fun!)
  
  
  
  Full tutorial with step-by-step photo illustrations HERE.
  
  

Martha Stewart has a great hypertufa pot tutorial too. Be sure to watch the video.

Webster Admiring his Yard from Attic Window

While I paid bills upstairs at the desktop computer today Webster looked out on the newly mown back property. I only mowed the left half. You can't see much of the uncut right half. I didn't mow way back either. It doesn't really need it yet. I have sections that I do---front, back, middle, and way back. I almost never cut it all at once. We had rain overnight and this morning. It's starting to shape up and we are having fun doing it. We just got back from our last walk of the day and now it's time to watch a little TV in bed. Goodnight. See you tomorrow.

DragonFly, Up Close and Personal

I took this photo with my Nikon D40 several years ago in 2009 and haven't gotten a better one since.

Our Lady of The Cow Parsley

Don't you love the name of this gorgeous painting by Elisabeth Sonrel, French artist 1874 - 1953? 'Our Lady of The Cow Parsley'. She is a vision of spring and summer for sure. This wildflower grows wild all over the UK. via sofi01 on Flickr

Tucking in Now

Webster and I are both tuckered out from all of our hard work outside. See you tomorrow. Sleep tight.

via 

Webster Helps with The Yardwork

 

Webster thinks as long as he's outside with me, he's helping. It does make a beautiful lawn ornament, doesn't he? I got out the electric weed whacker that I never mastered yesterday and I finally learned how to use it. My front lawn was way out of control with uneven tufts of tall grass all over the place. Now I'm almost ready for my first mowing. Little trees have started sprouting everywhere too. The only way to have a lawn or a meadow is to keep mowing over them. My poor arms had the shakes after I finished. Now I have to do the back. I'm somewhat encouraged about having to take care of the great outdoors for another season. How about you?

Nice Cupboard in a [New] Classic Bathroom

This free-standing cupboard is very nice in this vintage inspired bathroom, isn't it? via

Moonrise Kingdom looks like my kind of movie!

“Moonrise Kingdom” is the new movie directed by two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Wes Anderson (“The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Rushmore”). Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, “Moonrise Kingdom” tells the story of two 12-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in every which way. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff, Captain Sharp. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader, Scout Master Ward. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Bob Balaban; and introduces Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the boy and girl.

Click here if you can't see this official movie preview.

Handmade Gardening Tiles

 

I photographed these delightful handmade gardening tiles at the home of a real hands-on gardener.

Hydrangeas on a Weathered Fence

It won't belong before we'll be seeing the hydrangeas! via

Where's Webster?

He's an expert at putting his head inside any snack bag to get the crumbs out of the corners.

A beautiful landscape

Photographed with my iPhone recently. Don't you love the effect of lace the dogwood trees provide when they first start to flower? This border is called torn canvas using that free app I told you about this morning.

Have an outdoorsy weekend if you can. That is a personal request from the Wonder Dog for today and tomorrow.

A Daffodil + Another Free App

I found another great free app for selective color called Color Blast. You convert a photo to black and white and then put some color back. So much fun! Download it here.

Wonderful Potting Shed and A Free App

I photographed this delightful potting shed several weeks ago on a beautiful day. I edited the photo just a tiny bit and added a torn paper border with a free app I just found called PhotoToaster Jr. I think it's going to be a favorite!!! Download here. 

I am such a child aren't I, getting so excited about an app? Believe me you should get it because if I like it, it's great. And I am very hard to please (smile). Enjoy the weekend.